5 Clever Ways to Email a Recruiter and Get Their Attention

If you’re like me, your anxiety spikes when hitting send on an email.

Combining this with the constant worry accompanying a job hunt makes for a dangerous combination. There’s almost nothing more frightening than sending the wrong draft to a recruiter and ruining your chances at your dream role.

Employers and third-party recruitment agencies use staffing software with email integration capabilities to screen resumes, track candidate progress, and set interview slots. When everything is tracked and optimized, the process becomes easier.

If you’ve been wondering how to clench the opportunity you want, start out with writing email to the recruiter. This will not only break the ice but also increase your odds at your dream company. 

Personalize your email while getting in touch with recruiters. No recruiter wants to see a generic cold call email in their inbox. It shows that the candidate needed to care more to do research into the company or role they are interested in.

If you want to ensure a positive response from the recruiter you’re emailing and move further through the talent acquisition funnel, keep these tips in mind.

1. Keep it concise

Recruiters are often stretched between many duties and typically have little time to review each applicant – even with resume parsing or recruitment marketing tools. It’s usually difficult for them to edge out time for a “quick chat”, so the more information you can provide in the least amount of time is ideal.

Quick and concise messages show that you respect the recruiter’s time, and you’re more likely to receive a response rather than put it in the “answer later” folder, never to be seen again.

2. Write with purpose

There’s almost nothing more annoying than vague requests that only benefit you. Avoid the typical requests like, “Do you know anything about this role?” or “What available openings do you have?”. These questions waste the recruiter’s time and can be answered on the company’s career page or job listings.

Explore the job description properly before emailing the hiring manager or recruiter. Learning about the company culture, making connections, or asking for feedback on your application materials are all valid reasons to reach out to a recruiter.

3. Catch more flies with honey

Remember that you’re the one interested in a job opportunity. A recruiter’s opinion of you as a candidate and person can mean all the difference in a job offer. Be kind, authentic, and firm in your approach so that the recruiter believes in your words. Cutting and pasting online templates for job roles or cover letters can only get you so far.

Staying respectful with your tone and requests shows that you’re likely a pleasant and experienced person to work with.

4. Make it easy to respond

You should wait to write your email expecting to receive a job offer. Start with an introduction and a small request. Start with simple “yes or no” questions that a recruiter can answer as quickly and efficiently as possible rather than questions that elicit a lengthy response. You can dive into more profound questions, and requests as the conversation develop.

5. Have an out

At some point during the email process, you realize the job isn’t the right fit. Don’t come across as too desperate or that you’re dedicating all of your job hunt efforts to one company.

By making it seem like you have other options (even if you don’t), you’re setting yourself up for a stronger position to negotiate from down the road.

Email format for job application

Some candidates play it smart in the never-ending hiring chase by writing consistent cold emails to recruiters. While this doesn’t always guarantee success, some recruiters do consider it while shortlisting applicants. 

To craft a perfect email for a recruiter, here are a few creative practices to get you the opportunity you’re looking for.  

1. Transparent email subject line: Expressing “the why” of your email in your subject line is necessary to substantiate your identity among thousands of others. 

2. Proper salutation: While addressing every recruiter, you can make use of informal greetings, like “Dear,” along with “Mr.” or “Mrs.” to promote a sense of familiarity.  

3. Contact Source: An email looks genuine only if a candidates mention the source from where they extracted the contact information of a recruiter.

4. Educational qualifications: Describing your educational journey clarifies your objective to grow, learn and thrive professionally.

5. Work experience: Summarizing years of experience in a way that doesn’t sound like jargon is advisable. Recruiters can always read your resumes, so elongating your emails sets a poor impression.

6. Call to action: Formulate an enticing call to action in the final leg of your email. Either you can ask for a response from the recruiter or for a future appointment. Remember, both parties have an equal share when it comes to benefits. 

7. Sign-off: Signing off in a positive stride puts you in the good books. You can also extend your application by providing project links or LinkedIn profile URLs. This helps the recruiter explore the ropes of your work and share it with the hiring manager.

To get a positive recruiter response, you need to learn how to write a professional email that doesn’t sound artificial or cheesy.

Email examples for job application

When many applicants contend for new opportunities, the probability of getting selected reduces considerably. Recruiters are often on the lookout to choose crowd differentiators who are talented and unique. And they leave no stone unturned to ensure that.

These email samples check all the boxes of situations you might encounter in your job hunt. Use them as inspiration in the future, but remember to customize your emails based on the nature of the job role.

Job interest email example

Follow-up email example

Referral email example

Hire hunting goes way beyond posting job vacancies. Learn how you can write a satisfactory job description that cuts through the noise of the talent market.